Tag Archives: Austmine

BluVeinXL: aiming for benchmark status in the haulage fleet electrification game

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Since being named one of eight winning ideas selected to progress to the next stage of the Charge On™ Innovation Challenge in 2022, BluVeinXL has done more than most, assembling a consortium of major mining partners focused on accelerating BluVein’s standardised dynamic charging technology to decarbonise the mining sector.

Late last year, Austmine, which manages the BluVeinXL project, welcomed Rio Tinto, OZ Minerals, BHP, Newcrest Mining, Evolution Mining and Freeport-McMoRan to the consortium of funding members to fast-track the BluVein technology. It has since welcomed Vale to the consortium.

These companies have backed the vision of BluVein, a joint venture between Olitek (Australia) and Evias (Sweden), to dynamically power mixed-OEM haul fleets while in motion, enabling smaller on-board battery packs, faster vehicle haulage speeds up ramp, grid load balancing, elimination of static fast charging, maximum fleet availability and – most importantly – the complete elimination of diesel.

These consortium partners are focused on delivering BluVein’s fleet electrification solution to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 with a minimal viable product (MVP) demonstration, ahead of full commercial deployment of the technology.

BluVeinXL leverages much of what was developed for BluVein1, the primarily underground solution using the BluVein Rail™ slotted power rail system and the on-vehicle BluVein Hammer™ to simultaneously charge and power mining fleets ‘on the go’. The Rail is an enclosed electrified e-rail system mounted above or beside mining vehicles while the Hammer connects the electric vehicle to the Rail.

In underground scenarios, BluVein’s technology completely removes the need for battery swapping or static fast charging while allowing the use of smaller, lighter and lower cost batteries in continuous and high-duty applications, according to the company.

In open-pit operations, BluVeinXL will be similarly transformative, offering a next-generation alternative to what BluVein refers to as “the cumbersome, inflexible and expensive conventional catenary wire trolley systems that are currently hampering mines from fully decarbonising their haulage operations”.

To get the latest on the BluVeinXL open-pit electrification solution, IM caught up with James Oliver, CEO of BluVein.

IM: Now you have the founding consortium members confirmed for BluVeinXL, where do you go from here? Are you currently engaged with major OEMs on creating a standard design that can fit on any truck?

JO: Seven consortium members is just the start, and we will be announcing additional members very soon. We greatly value our members as it is ensuring we get ‘voice of industry’ and the key technical requirements during this critical stage. One of the major benefits our members see in BluVein is our standardisation, meaning our technology can be used with mixed-OEM fleets, mixed machine types and can even be used to make alternative clean fuel use more efficient and cost effective.

We are currently working with two to three major fleet OEMs and progressing agreements related to integration and demonstration of the BluVeinXL technology. We are confident we will be able to demonstrate with at least one OEM as the MVP, and hopefully more during the current project. Once we agree with each OEM the agreed interface point, then the BluVeinXL integration with the various fleet types becomes quite simple. To do this our technical team works closely with the OEMs on all aspects of the integration including Hammer, Rail and the control systems. By standardising with our various OEM fleet partners, we are delivering on what the mining customers are demanding – a truly standardised dynamic charging system.

James Oliver, CEO of BluVein

IM: How are you managing to engage OEMs that are also providing their own trolley assist applications that, they believe, may be suitable for similar haul truck propulsion setups to BluVeinXL?

JO: BluVein’s safe and proven electrification technology is based on over a decade of research and development undertaken for electric highways by our joint venture partner Evias. We are confident in our system’s ability to deliver high power transfer whilst also delivering on the safety and robustness requirements demanded by mining customers. Critically, the high-power transfer characteristics of BluVein’s slotted rail system enables simultaneous on-ramp hauling and charging of multiple closely spaced mining haul vehicles. This is a game-changing capability and of high interest to our mining partners. The conventional catenary wire-based trolley systems have limitations on power delivery capacity, earthing and other critical safety elements, and, therefore, are not as favoured by miners.

We do, however, see benefits of OEMs trialling a range of different mine electrification approaches, as long as we can all agree on a common vehicle connection point, specifically at the dynamic charge interface. This will ensure the end customer is able to select the best solution for their individual sites. We understand that BluVein will not be everything to everyone, but for the applications it does suit, we are confident it will be a true game changer over conventional catenary and static fast charging options for haul truck fleets.

We hope to be able to demonstrate BluVeinXL side by side with a catenary wire system to showcase the competitive advantages BluVeinXL has – that is higher power transfer; safer, easier to install, use and relocate; and overall lower cost. Ultimately it will be up to the customer to choose based on the performance of the system and we think this will stack up in BluVeinXL’s favour.

IM: Can you expand on how your system alleviates the requirements on haul road conditions that typically comes with the current generation of trolley assist technology? Do you see your Rail and Hammer technology being able to work in any conditions (the Arctic included)?

JO: Part of our current package of work is to understand with our mining partners what these extremes are to ensure we are developing a solution that has minimal up-stream and down-stream impact on operations. The vision is to have a deployable solution that suits all climates and terrains.

Our core technology partner, Evias, has spent over a decade developing BluVein’s core technology to function effectively in icy and muddy conditions. By building on these learnings, we are confident that BluVeinXL will work in the vast majority of terrains and climates experienced in mining – from the hot and humid Pilbara region of Australia to the coldest parts of northern Canada.

It is BluVein’s safe slotted e-rail technology that enables it to be located near to the ground to the side of haul roads. Our Hammer and Arm is being designed to cater for the full range of haul road conditions, thereby reducing the burden on mines to maintain haul road conditions to perfection as is required with conventional overhead wire catenary systems.

Our consortium members have very good geographic spread to help us understand and test in these conditions. Part of our current work is to clearly understand from our mining partners what these environmental extremes are to ensure our solution will function effectively in all operations.

IM: Has your work to this point indicated how small the on-board batteries could be in a typical open-pit scenario for 220-t-payload trucks?

JO: We have taken a technology-agnostic approach to what on-board power and storage system we are supplying; our current focus is getting enough energy onto the vehicle as efficiently and safely as possible to power drive motors and charge smaller batteries if and when available. While we cannot reveal exactly how much smaller we can make the batteries, early studies show the batteries can be reduced as much as 60% when coupled with dynamic charge that has enough capacity to power the drive and charge the battery.

BluVein1 for underground and quarries can provide up to 3 MW of power sufficient for up to 100-t payload vehicles

IM: So what payloads do you think you could be providing this solution for?

JO: The BluVein Rail and Hammer design is completely scalable. BluVein1 for underground and quarries can provide up to 3 MW of power sufficient for up to 100-t payload vehicles. The BluVeinXL system can offer in the range of 4-7 MW, sufficient for up to 250-t payload vehicles. Our engineering team plan to use BluVein1 and BluVeinXL as stepping stones for an eventual introduction of a BluVein solution suited to ultraclass fleets with 9-12 MW of capacity sufficient for up to 350-400 t payloads.

IM: Where are you with your field trials on this solution? Do you expect these to commence this year?

JO: The targeted ‘wheels on track’ for BluVein1 is 2023, followed closely in 2024 with the BluVeinXL MVP demonstration. Right now I cannot reveal too much but there are some exciting partnerships being progressed to achieve this.

In terms of field trials, our ideal setup – and I think one the industry really wants – is a single site where all key mine electrification technologies can be tested out side-by-side. There are some very positive conversations going on between all three parties – the solution OEMs, truck OEMs and mining companies – on this front, which is exciting for BluVeinXL.

As has been said many times, there is no ‘silver bullet’ when it comes to mine decarbonisation. We know that BluVein’s dynamic charging solutions will tick a lot of boxes, but not all. So, it’s great if we can work together to ensure we cover any gaps. There is just too much at stake to try and go it alone.

IM: Anything else to add on the subject of electrification and dynamic charging?

JO: One question we have been asked is does BluVein’s Hammer and Rail technology only support dynamic charging? While power transfer while in motion is our obvious advantage, our system is basically an automated IP2X-rated power connection that can transfer more than 4 MW of energy. Could we use this for automated static fast charging also? Our answer to that is absolutely.

Vedanta aims to solve open-innovation challenges with Austmine collaboration

Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Austmine and Vedanta have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines a framework for future cooperation between the two companies in line with the Australia-India Mining Innovation Program supported by the Australia-India Council and the Global Mining Challenge – India program.

The MoU was executed by Dr Robert Trzebski, Austmine Director, International Business, and Vineet Jaiswal, Deputy CEO of Vedanta Limited’s Centre of Excellence.

“We are very pleased to see this MoU in place as it paves the way for great synergy between our two entities, combining Austmine’s METS network in Australia and Vedanta’s drive for technology excellence and innovation,” Trzebski said. “Our collaboration will allow Australian METS solutions to enter the Indian mining industry and address challenges around world-class standards of governance, safety, sustainability and social responsibility.”

Jaiswal added: “We are delighted to see this alliance take place as Austmine is a great platform to help crowdsource innovation and connect to the best of brains across the world for opportunities available across Vedanta group. The METS capabilities of Austmine’s membership network will be a complement to Vedanta’s quest for transformation across environment, communities, governance, workforce and other business functions.”

The objectives of the MoU are to solve to open-innovation challenges, gain access to Australian transformative and sustainable technologies, drive disruptive potential that will create a large-scale impact on global ESG issues,and stimulate bilateral trade and investment between Australia and India, Austmine says.

The first two challenges, ‘Underground Mining Network Connectivity’ and ‘Reduction of Net Carbon Consumption in Potlines’, have already been launched. In the former category, Vedanta is seeking technology-based solutions that help reduce the risks, impacts, and occurrence of communication gaps in its underground mining operation at the Rampura Agucha Mine; with the latter challenge seeking technology-based solutions that can help reduce the net carbon consumption in its potline at the Vedanta Limited Jharsuguda smelter.

Austmine and MSTA Canada sign MoU focused on further collaboration

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Austmine says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mining Suppliers Trade Association (MSTA Canada) seeking to formally continue work on expanding collaboration between the two organisations.

Signed on June 10, 2022, during the MSTA Canada Annual Forum in Toronto, Canada, the MoU will focus on creating a global network of Canadian and Australian METS supplier companies; driving collaboration in the open innovation space; cross-promoting the industry sector; and cooperating towards transforming mining to a zero-waste industry.

MSTA’s Managing Director, Ryan McEachern (right), and Austmine’s Director International, Dr Robert Trzebski (left), officially signed the MoU.

Austmine says it is the leading not-for-profit industry association for the Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector, providing members with opportunities to build relationships, understand industry needs, boost their industry profile and access domestic and international supply chains.

Founded in 1981 as the Canadian Association of Mining Equipment and Services for Export (CAMESE), MSTA CANADA connects mining supply and services companies to business opportunities across Canada, and around the world.

XEMC, ABB, 3ME, BluVein, Hitachi and more make Charge On Innovation shortlist

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Charge On Innovation Challenge, formally launched on May 13 as a push for industry, OEMs and other stakeholders to come up with workable solutions for faster charging of large surface electric mining trucks and spearheaded by Austmine, has shortlisted 21 vendors to progress to the next phase of the challenge.

These 21 vendors are matched by 21 mining companies who have joined as patrons. This includes founding patrons BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale, alongside Roy Hill, Teck, Boliden, Thiess, Antofagasta Minerals, Codelco, Freeport McMoRan, Gold Fields, Yancoal, Barrick Gold, CITIC Pacific Mining, Evolution Mining, Harmony Gold, Mineral Resources Ltd, Newcrest Mining, OZ Minerals, South32 and Syncrude.

The 21 vendors to have made the cut were selected from more than 80 organisations that submitted expressions of interest.

The list of companies to make it to the next stage (one of which who declined to be named) includes:

  • 3ME Technology;
  • ABB;
  • Altreonic-Kurt.energy;
  • Ampcontrol/Tritium;
  • Australian Turntables;
  • BluVein;
  • DB Engineering & Consulting with Echion Technologies;
  • Farmboro Consulting;
  • Hitachi Group;
  • Infosys;
  • InvertedPower Pty Ltd;
  • IT & ES Industries (OZ) Pty Ltd;
  • L&T Technology Services;
  • Midwest Energy Pvt. Ltd;
  • Mitsui & Co. with Forsee Power and AVL;
  • Saft;
  • Shell Consortium;
  • Siemens;
  • Solar System Resources Corporation Sp. z o. o.; and
  • Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group Heavy-Duty Equipment Co. Ltd;

The next phase of the challenge will comprise of a pitch session followed by a deep dive into the innovative solutions proposed to charge haul trucks powered by battery instead of diesel, Austmine says.

Charge On Innovation Challenge sparks more miner interest

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The organisers of the Charge On Innovation Challenge have reported an overwhelming response to the preliminary phase, which closed on July 31, with 21 mining companies joining as patrons, over 350 companies from across 19 industries registering their interest as vendors, and more than 80 organisations submitting expressions of interest (EOI).

The challenge, a global competition, is expected to drive technology innovators across all industries to develop new concepts and solutions for large-scale haul truck electrification systems aimed at significantly cutting emissions from surface mining. It also aims to demonstrate an emerging market for charging solutions in mining, accelerate commercialisation of solutions and integrate innovations from other industries into the mining sector.

BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale, facilitated by Austmine, launched the Charge On Innovation Challenge in May of this year, initiating the EOI process on May 18. Since the initial launch, Roy Hill, Teck, Boliden, Thiess, Antofagasta Minerals, Codelco, Freeport McMoRan, Gold Fields and Yancoal came forward as patrons by early July.

The latest release has highlighted another nine miners to join as patrons. This includes Barrick Gold, CITIC Pacific Mining, Evolution Mining, Harmony Gold, Mineral Resources Ltd, Newcrest Mining, OZ Minerals, South32 and Syncrude.

The patrons, supported by Austmine, will assess the proposals over the next month and select a shortlist of vendors who will then formally pitch their challenge solutions.

At least one of these proposals has come from ABB, which confirmed earlier this month that it had submitted its ideas for the challenge using its mine electrification, traction and battery system eand charging infrastructure expertise.

At the end of the pitch phase, the challenge patrons will look to select the most desirable charging concepts identified as having broad industry appeal and application, as well as providing a standard geometry that enables chargers to service trucks from different manufacturers. The first concepts could be ready for site trials in the next few years, according to the organisers.

BHP’s Charge On Innovation Challenge Project Lead, Scott Davis, said: “The Charge On Innovation Challenge is a great example of the current collaborative work being done by the mining industry in seeking solutions to decarbonise mining fleets. The challenge received interest from companies based in over 20 countries, showing the truly global reach of the opportunity to help reduce haul truck emissions.”

John Mulcahy, Rio Tinto’s lead for the Charge On Innovation Challenge, said: “Twenty-one mining companies, all focused on lowering carbon emissions, have joined as patrons. Together we’re encouraging technology innovators to help us introduce large-scale haul truck electrification solutions. The sooner we bring these technologies to market, the sooner we can introduce them to our fleet, and reduce emissions.”

Vale’s Charge On Innovation Challenge Project lead, Mauricio Duarte, said: “We are very happy with the results of the first phase of the project. It´s still early to talk about the success of the challenge, but it is clear that the industry has reached a new level: we worked together on a common sustainability agenda and we will work collectively to reach our goals, gaining safety and speed on our way to low carbon mining.”

Austmine to offer ‘complete’ industry access to conference and exhibition

Mining events, Mining services, , , , , ,

Austmine is ensuring all participants from the Australian and international resources sector can gain access to the upcoming Austmine Conference and Exhibition in Perth, Western Australia, irrespective of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The mining equipment, technology and services industry organisation is hosting its conference and exhibition from May 25-27, with expectations it will be one of the largest gatherings of the industry since COVID-19 emerged.

Austmine CEO, Christine Gibbs Stewart, said Austmine knows how important this event is to the industry and wants to ensure everyone is able to get complete access, even in these uncertain times.

“To make sure no one misses out, if borders close in your state during the conference, we will be providing an alternate conference experience virtually that will give you access to view and engage with the conference from your home or office,” Gibbs Stewart said.

“We understand virtual attendance is not quite the same as getting to experience the in-room atmosphere and opportunity for conversation and collaboration, which is why we are giving 25% refunds to all who are pushed to join virtually due to border restrictions.

“We are, however, encouraging everyone to purchase full-access tickets to Austmine 2021 to embrace the full experience as we hear from industry experts and explore the importance of optimising our technology, processes and collaboration across the industry.

“We are really conscious of the unprecedented times we face, and although travel is opening up and restrictions are easing, we are wanting to implement a solution ahead of time should any further restrictions arise.”

More than 80 exhibiting companies will attend the 2021 conference, along with a line-up of world-class speakers, interactive workshops, educational and networking opportunities, live demonstrations, the collaborative Ideas Exchange, Meet the Miners and the Austmine Industry Leaders’ Dinner and Awards, Austmine says.

International Mining is a media sponsor of Austmine 2021

Austmine welcomes BHP as key sponsor for 2021 innovation event

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining events, Mining industry recognition, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , ,

BHP is backing Austmine’s next mining innovation conference, to be held in Perth, Western Australia, from May 25-27, 2021.

Austmine CEO, Christine Gibbs Stewart (pictured at the 2019 event), said the conference theme, ‘Harnessing Intelligence’, will explore the importance of optimising the interaction between people, processes and technology, further positioning Australia as the global hub for mining innovation.

“Given its importance to the Australian economy and continuing global demand, the mining industry has been able to weather the global pandemic relatively well,” Gibbs Stewart said. “While the pathway forward might be uncertain, the need for innovation and technology in areas such as automation, remote monitoring and advanced communications, has been accelerated.”

She continued: “The Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector has always been a leader in the creation and adoption of new technologies. We have a unique opportunity to continue to lead in this area, particularly as other mining nations look to us for guidance in the new COVID world.”

Austmine 2021 is set to bring together executive-level leaders and thinkers to showcase how they are using innovation to lead change in a more competitive, sustainable and efficient way, into the future.

The 2021 conference might be one of the first major opportunities for the industry to come together, since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, Gibbs Stewart said.

“As a community, we will be hungry to collaborate to build a resilient, future-focused industry,” she said. “There are many brilliant, innovative minds in mining and METS and, when we work together, we can only move our industry forward.”

Gibbs Stewart said she was thrilled to welcome BHP as Austmine’s principal sponsor, which is part of the two companies’ strategic partnership to advance the interests of the METS sector and fast-track technology adoption in mining.

“Through this partnership, Austmine 2021 will deliver an exciting and cutting-edge event, with a high calibre conference program and valuable networking opportunities for delegates and exhibitors alike,” Gibbs Stewart said.

Held every two years, the Austmine Conference is one of the leading, global mining innovation events. It features more than 50 mining innovation and technology experts across a two-day conference program and interactive pre-conference workshops. The event is underpinned by a series of educational and networking opportunities, including a trade exhibition featuring live demonstrations, the collaborative Ideas Exchange, Meet the Miners and the social highlight, the Austmine Industry Leaders’ Dinner and Awards.

To find out more about the event go to: www.austmineconference.com.au

International Mining is a media sponsor of Austmine 2021

Austmine and BHP strengthen METS sector ties

Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Austmine says it and BHP have announced a strategic partnership focused on bringing people and resources together to “maximise value-chain opportunities and further strengthen the competitiveness of the Australian METS and mining sectors”.

The three-year partnership will see BHP actively involved with Austmine through nationwide industry events, webinars, visits to BHP operations and other innovation projects, according to Austmine.

Austmine is a leading not-for-profit industry association for the Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector with over 600 members nationally.

BHP Group Procurement Officer, Sundeep Singh, said the partnership was about breaking down barriers to access.

“Midway through last year, we brought together a group of representatives from across the Australian METS sector including Austmine to understand the challenges and opportunities in engaging with our business,” he said.

“After hearing the perspectives of the sector, we have since worked with Austmine to design a partnership which will build relationships between the Australian METS sector and BHP personnel at multiple levels.

“We hope this increased access will increase our adoption of technological innovations from around the country and also provide an opportunity to test supply chain improvements through Austmine.”

A recent Austmine member survey indicated it was difficult to do business with Tier One miners, particularly for small firms, the company said.

Austmine’s CEO, Chris Gibbs Stewart, said: “The smaller the company, the more difficult it is to get their foot in the door. Our partnership will enhance communications, build trust and make it easier to do business with BHP.

“We have a world-class METS sector which has a global reputation for problem solving, innovative solutions and advanced technology. Working with BHP in close collaboration, we will no doubt take this reputation to the next level.”

The partnership will contribute to Austmine’s goal of championing the Australian METS sector as global innovation leader and providing growth opportunities to members, Austmine added.

Community engagement and automation on the AIMEX agenda

Automation, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining people, Mining policy, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Day one of AIMEX 2019 in Sydney, Australia, was as varied as mining events come. Against an exhibition backdrop that organisers say included more than 500 suppliers, leaders in the industry took to the conference stage to debate some of the industry hottest topics.

The morning sessions started off with discussions on the relationship between the mining sector and local stakeholders, an area of dialogue that becomes more dynamic with every mining, extraction or water use permit issued in Australia.

Stephen Galilee, Chief Executive Officer of the New South Wales (NSW) Minerals Council, was the first speaker to confront the topic and was, rightly, keen to talk up some of the success stories that the state had seen in the recent past.

He said the NSW Minerals Council addressed local community’s priorities through its Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue project, which he believes is one of the world’s best engagement community practices.

A panel, chaired by Austmine CEO Christine Gibbs-Stewart, followed shortly after Galilee and expanded on this line of discussion, with Mark Jacobs, Executive General Manager – Environment & Community, Yancoal Australia, and Ngaire Baker, External Relations Manager of Mach Energy, providing specific examples of how their companies have developed a working relationship with not just the communities surrounding their mines, but also interested parties within the states in which they operate.

Jacobs said the digital age and transparency of reporting has brought miners a lot closer to the communities that surround them than, say, 20 years ago, but he admitted Yancoal Australia and his peers in Australia needed to do more to rebuild the trust that was lost in previous decades. He added that local media played a strong role in this quest.

Baker, meanwhile, recalled several anecdotes about how Mach Energy was building strong community relationships by effectively communicating how the mining company was going about its business of starting up the Mount Pleasant thermal coal mine in the Hunter Valley, explaining what effects this might have on local businesses, as well as inviting them to the operation to gain a better understanding of the mine.

Jacobs and Baker made compelling points, but Anna Littleboy, Programme Leader – Mine Lifecycles, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, made it clear the success of a mine or project was contingent on not only winning over the local community.

“I’m not sure the image of the industry is made or broken at the community level,” she said.

The Adani Carmichael coal project, in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, is a case in point, where local stakeholders have made it clear they would like the thermal coal development to go ahead, but issues on a national and international level have made it increasingly difficult to proceed. This is despite the company recently receiving a significant permit to proceed with construction.

Before the panel discussion ended, the speakers talked about what impact technology may have on local communities, with Gibbs-Stewart questioning what mine site communities could look like in an autonomous future where people no longer operated the machines.

The panellists said these communities could potentially become technology hubs servicing such operations, but Jacobs remarked that local and state governments needed to ensure the infrastructure was in place to allow such a transition to take place.

The next few conference sessions picked up the automation ball and ran with it.

Craig Hurkett, Managing Director, Enterprise Improvement Solutions, explored the challenges and opportunities that came with delivering autonomous vehicle maintenance. His talk touched on just how expensive the current fleet of autonomous machines were to keep running at full tilt.

Robin Burgess-Limerick, Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, took a different angle in his presentation: ‘Human-systems integration for the safe introduction of automation to mines and quarries’.

He made it clear that automation would change the established safety systems in place at both open-pit and underground mines. He also touched on some accidents that had occurred both above and below ground when autonomous equipment came into contact with either personnel or manned vehicles, but then countered this with details of a past paper he had co-authored on operations at the Northparkes underground mine in New South Wales where the use of autonomous vehicles had seen significant safety improvements as well as a 23% productivity boost compared with previous manual mode.

Factoring this in, he said mining companies and equipment manufacturers needed to ensure that autonomous equipment was designed for the specific operation it was going into and that manual overrides were not used as a workaround to improve productivity – which in the underground US coal mine example he gave resulted in a fatality.

It was then the turn of Dr Joe Cronin, Co-Founder, Australian Droid + Robot, on stage. Cronin, who has helped design autonomous underground systems at both Northparkes and the Syama underground mine (Mali), was positive automation was coming to mining at a pace that would catch many industry participants off guard; meaning they needed to invest to facilitate this change now.

His talk, ‘Using Telepresence technologies for the safe deployment of wireless mesh networks and underground inspection robots in mines’, focused on the improved communications infrastructure in mines and ability for robots and drones to travel into increasingly difficult areas of a mine. This, he said, would see risky tasks currently carried out by people, in the future, taken on by these machines.

Personnel would no longer need to travel underground to carry out sampling in active stopes, with these robust and agile robots able to give them the information they needed through payloads that could carry out 3D scans, take high resolution photos, sense dangerous gases and interpret potential rock falls.

This would not only increase safety underground, it would also allow autonomous operations to run 24/7, according to Cronin, with these robots working unimpeded alongside autonomous equipment.

Reflecting on the proliferation of drones in the open-pit mining space, Cronin estimated that in five years’ time, every underground mine would be using robots or drones to inspect hazardous areas of their mines.

Southern Innovation extends minerals analysis agreement with BHP

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Technology company Southern Innovation says it has entered into a multi-year collaboration agreement with BHP to further research applications of the METS company’s radiation-based minerals analysis technology.

Under the agreement Southern Innovation will provide BHP with technical expertise to uncover solutions to specific challenges BHP faces in mineral exploration and extraction, the company said.

Southern Innovation and BHP have worked together since late 2015 to develop and commercialise technology to improve the performance of radiation-based analysis in mining applications, using a complex signal-processing algorithm developed by Southern Innovation Founder Paul Scoullar at The University of Melbourne.

BHP Vice President of Technology Global Transformation, Rag Udd, said: “Our continuing engagement with the METS sector ensures that our industry successfully adapts to technological change while creating and sustaining global technological and skills leadership in key areas of mining and our supply chain.

“An internationally competitive, appropriately skilled and innovative METS sector is critical to help maintain Australia’s leading position in the global resources sector.”

Southern Innovation’s CEO and Managing Director, David Scoullar, said: “We are delighted to formalise our ongoing relationship with BHP to further research applications of our radiation-based minerals analysis technology to meet challenges across BHP’s domestic and international commodity portfolio.

“Our engagement with BHP over the last three years has successfully developed new-to-world METS technology and products in Australia and enabled us to double our workforce. With this new research and ongoing product development work, we will be adding even more employees dedicated to this task with a view to redoubling our workforce over two years.”

Industry body for the METS sector, Austmine, has been supporting Southern Innovation since 2015 through the Australian Technologies Competition and the Accelerating Commercialisation Program with the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and more recently with grant funding via the Entrepreneurs’ Programme.

Austmine CEO, Christine Gibbs Stewart, said: “It’s critically important that emerging METS companies can access customers, funding, expertise and networks to enable the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies in the METS sector.

“Southern Innovation is a great example of how small, agile innovators can help big businesses like BHP solve previously intractable challenges.”